This Spanish Family Has Transformed 18th-century Historic Homes Into Luxury Hotels

For 15 years, Victor Madera, a Spanish doctor who made his fortune in health care, and his wife, Maria Obdulia Fernández, have been acquiring and renovating historic homes throughout Spain. Their two dozen properties include a 13th-century castle in Extremadura and a 20th-century Modernist villa in Asturias. Three years ago, the couple sat down with their four daughters to decide what to do with these exceptional buildings — and how to maintain them for future generations. 

That was when the idea for a hospitality brand, Vestige Collection, was born. Inspired by Spain’s Paradores — a group of state-owned hotels founded by King Alfonso XIII in 1928 — the family wants to protect the nation’s heritage while also providing a luxurious guest experience. “For my parents, saving and restoring these buildings is a deep passion,” says Claudia, the second-oldest daughter. 

The first hotel, Son Vell, opened last June on a 450-acre estate in northwestern Menorca. The long driveway gives it a slow, dramatic reveal: from behind olive groves and orchards of leafy citrus trees, a stone gate emerges, followed by an elegant 18th-century three-story villa built of golden marés limestone.

More Trip Ideas: How to Visit Menorca, Spain

Most of the 34 spacious suites are in stone bungalows that were once farm buildings. Each is outfitted with a king bed and handmade furniture and textiles, and many have private walled-in terraces and gardens. The hotel can arrange horseback rides along the nearby Camí de Cavalls, a 115-mile trail that loops around Menorca, and the stunning beach Cala Son Vell is also a mere 10-minute walk away.

Vestige has opened a second property, the 11-bedroom Palacio de Figueras, in Asturias, which is available for exclusive use. A chef and a housekeeper are provided, and a concierge can set up excursions into the Picos de Europa, Spain’s tallest mountains, as well as nearby beaches. 

Obdulia Fernández, who oversees the design of each Vestige property, researches the buildings’ original materials to restore them as accurately as possible. For Palacio de Figueras, she hunted for doors that date from the same period and found artisans who could fit tiny frames to the small window openings. She was inspired by the Belgian artist and designer Axel Vervoordt: “I tend to build the room around one special, minimalist piece.” She placed a bonsai tree in the lounge and a painting of the manor’s original owner in one of the bedrooms. 

This year the family plans to open two hotels, Son Ermitá and Son Binideufá, on adjoining estates in north-central Menorca, as well as a six-bedroom exclusive-use villa in the foothills of Mallorca’s Tramuntana Mountains. Down the line are properties in Almería and Extremadura. “We are excited to encourage travelers to visit the wilder, more remote corners of Spain,” Claudia says. 

A version of this story first appeared in the June 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Live Like Royalty in Menorca.”